LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A small, woman-owned private school on South Rainbow Boulevard is fighting for its future, and the families and staff who call it home are rallying to keep it alive.
Journey Education, a K-8 private school founded in 2007, has served Las Vegas families for nearly two decades. But declining enrollment is now threatening to close its doors for good.
WATCH | Woman-owned Las Vegas private school fights to survive after nearly 20 years
Sister-in-laws Cindy and Becky Jensen launched the school after struggling to find the right educational fit for their own children.
"We had children in elementary and junior high, and 20 years ago there weren't the options there are, and we didn't find just the right thing for our children," Cindy Jensen said.
The Jensens started with just 12 students in a converted home. Today, the school enrolls 65 students and maintains a 12-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio.
"Right now our enrollment is 65 students, and we have a 12:1 ratio, which makes us really special. We make sure that the needs of every child is taken care of and children just don't fall through the cracks," Jensen said.
Despite rising costs, the owners say they have refused to raise tuition in order to keep quality education accessible to Las Vegas families. According to the school's website, tuition for one student runs around $13,500 a year. By comparison, The Meadows School charges between $23,000 and $35,000 annually, and Las Vegas Day School charges between $17,000 and $23,000 depending on grade level.
The owners say the school's biggest challenge isn't the cost — it's visibility.
"We are one of the best kept secrets and we don't want that to be the case anymore — we want people to know," Becky Jensen said.
Parent Jaime Lynch, whose daughter is in kindergarten, says she has seen firsthand what makes the school stand out.
"She's learning and she's excited about what she's learning — she comes home and can't wait to show me her homework and you know this double digit math that she's doing already," Lynch said.
Lynch says families aren't waiting around for the school to close. They've launched a grassroots campaign to raise awareness and attract new students.
"We're really, really coming together as a group and saying, hey, how can we get the word out there because I think that's really the thing is that a lot of people don't know about Journey's," Lynch said.
The goal, families say, is straightforward — bring in more students and give Journey Education a fighting chance.
"She's excelling and I love to see that and so I just want to continue that," Lynch said.
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